Alli Totzke, a 10th trimester DC student, recently received one of four $2,500 outstanding essay awards from The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE). The awards are part of the NBCE’s Annual Student Scholarship Competition.

Essays relevant to chiropractic, significance to current events or needs of the profession, scientific style, or content providing new insights or new information to the chiropractic profession were solicited. The topic for Totzke’s essay, “Challenge of the Profession,” focused on professional burnout.

According to Totzke, medical professionals in particular are experiencing very high rates of burnout. This can have detrimental effects on individuals in their personal and professional lives.

“We often have to wear many hats: doctor, business owner, patient advocate, etc. By taking on so many roles, it’s easy to have stress levels go unchecked and snowball into mental health problems that are much worse than acute stress,” Totzke said. “It’s necessary to look atwhyburnout happens and seek better coping mechanisms as part of a success strategy.”

The NBCE’s Annual Student Scholarship Competition is administered by an independent third party, Brighthall, Inc., with Dr. Claire Johnson, president. Dr. Johnson, MSEd, DC, DACBSP, FICC is also an NUHS professor and editor-in-chief of the university’s three scientific, peer reviewed journals.